Images: Weekend European football action

Rooney stand-in Hernandez hits two in United win

After a week when Wayne Rooney hogged the headlines, his stand-in Javier Hernandez scored twice to secure Manchester United's first away win in the Premier League this season in a 2-1 triumph at Stoke City on Sunday.

Rooney, whose stated desire to leave Old Trafford was followed by an immediate u-turn and a five-year contract, missed the game with an ankle injury but for the second week running his replacement, Hernandez, opened the scoring.

Last week United threw away a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 at home with West Bromwich Albion, which, after four successive away draws, was their fifth stalemate in eight league games.

It looked like a sixth was on the cards after Tuncay Sanli cancelled out Hernandez's opener in the 81st minute only for the Mexican to snatch the winner four minutes from time.

It took United's points tally to 17, five behind leaders Chelsea, who beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-0 on Saturday.

Image: Manchester United's Javier Hernandez (right) celebrates his second goal against Stoke City with Darren Fletcher on SundayPhotographs: Reuters

Clinical Arsenal demolish Man City

Arsenal, with Cesc Fabregas back pulling their strings, took full advantage of an 85-minute one-man advantage when they beat Manchester City 3-0 in a bruising Premier League battle at Eastlands Sunday.

City defender Dedryck Boyata was sent off for a last-man foul on Marouane Chamakh and Arsenal, who could afford a penalty miss by Fabregas in his first league game for five weeks, won with goals by Samir Nasri, Alex Song and Nicklas Bendtner.

Arsenal and City are both now on 17 points as are Manchester United, who claimed their first away league win of the season after four draws when Javier Hernandez scored both goals, including the winner four minutes from time, in a 2-1 success at Stoke City.

Chelsea lead the way with 22 points, while in Sunday's other match Liverpool claimed only their second win of the season when they beat Blackburn Rovers 2-1 at Anfield.

Image: Arsenal's Samir Nasri (right) celebrates after scoring against Manchester City on Sunday

Villarreal beat Atletico to go second in La Liga

Goals from Cani and Giuseppe Rossi gave Villarreal a 2-0 victory at home to Atletico Madrid which moved them up to second in La Liga on Sunday.

Villarreal, who have played some of the best football in Spain this season, took the lead against another side expected to be pushing for a top four finish, after a superb run and pass from Brazil striker Nilmar in the ninth minute.

Midfielder Cani profited to score with a neat touch and Italy striker Rossi twisted and turned in the area, beating three defenders, to net inside the near post after 52.

Villarreal climbed to second with 19 points from eight matches, one behind unbeaten leaders Real Madrid, who hammered Racing Santander 6-1 at the Bernabeu on Saturday.

Champions Barcelona are third on goal difference after their 2-0 victory at Real Zaragoza, also on Saturday.

Valencia slip to fourth

Early pacesetters Valencia slipped to fourth with 16 points one ahead of Espanyol, who earlier kept pace with the top sides after a 2-1 victory at home to promoted Levante, thanks to goals from Jesus Datolo and Jose Callejon.

Atletico dropped to eighth with 13 points one behind Sevilla, who came out on top in the game of the day at the Sanchez Pizjuan where Luis Fabiano and Frederic Kanoute each scored twice in a thrilling 4-3 win over Athletic Bilbao.

Brazil striker Luis Fabiano, who has struggled for form this season, scored his first league goal of the campaign in the 35th minute and, after Mali's Kanoute had scored from the penalty spot, made it 3-0 early in the second half with a cool lob.

Image: Valencia's Vicente Rodriguez (right) and Real Mallorca's Jose Luis Marti are involved in a duel during their La Liga match on Saturday

Llorente's fine form continues

Bilbao's Spain striker Fernando Llorente continued his recent run of form by scoring twice in quick succession, in the 74th and 77th, with the hosts down to 10 men after a red card for Fernando Navarro.

A disputed penalty scored by Kanoute again, 10 minutes from time, appeared to have restored some order until a stoppage-time header from Bilbao's Igor Gabilondo set nerves jangling again among the home fans.

Elsewhere, Getafe beat Sporting Gijon 3-0 and Osasuna won by the same scoreline against Malaga, while the pressure remained on Almeria coach Juan Manuel Lillo after his side could only draw 1-1 at home to promoted Hercules.

Lazio continue to soar, Inter held by Sampdoria

Surprise Serie A leaders Lazio watched their eagle mascot fluff its lines but made no mistake in recording their fourth straight win with a tense 2-1 home victory over Cagliari on Sunday.

Their advantage at the top was extended to four points after second-placed Inter Milan were held to a 1-1 draw by Sampdoria in driving rain at the San Siro.

Samuel Eto'o poked in the lively Coutinho's cross 10 minutes from time, his 15th goal in 13 club games this term, to hand the champions a deserved point in the late game after many chances.

Stefano Guberti had put Sampdoria ahead midway through the second half when Julio Cesar failed to keep out his acrobatic effort after Antonio Cassano had escaped the referee's whistle when robbing Cristian Chivu of the ball.

The downpour was so heavy that Samp's white shirts became almost see-through while Inter coach Rafael Benitez was constantly wiping his glasses as play became difficult.

Wesley Sneijder, who reports say is stalling on a new contract amid interest from the likes of Manchester United, had a rare off day for the treble winners who still lack options from the bench given Diego Milito's injury.

Juventus, Roma register goalless draws

Sergio Floccari's first-half goal and a fortunate second from Stefano Mauri when the ball went in off his chest helped Lazio to 19 points, their best ever total in the top-flight after eight matches.

Alessandro Matri pulled one back for Cagliari to set up a nervous finish but Edy Reja's group of journeymen, relegation candidates last term, hung on to top spot for another week.

Lazio's rise to the top of the table seems to have rubbed off on this term's new mascot, Olimpia the eagle, who decided to settle on the Stadio Olimpico roof rather than land on the pitch as instructed during a pre-match routine.

Handlers managed to get him down as the game went on with rivals now plotting how to drag Lazio back down to earth too.

AS Roma drew 0-0 at bottom side Parma and visiting captain Francesco Totti was substituted at halftime.

A mini-revival from fifth-placed Juventus ended when they were also held to a goalless stalemate at Bologna where Vincenzo Iaquinta had a penalty saved by Italy keeper Emiliano Viviano.

The hosts felt justice had been done on 36 minutes after winger Milos Krasic went down in the area despite replays showing no contact with Daniele Portanova.

Chievo moved up to fourth after a last-gasp 2-1 win over Cesena while Genoa are ninth with a 1-0 win over Catania and Lecce lie 10th after a 2-1 comeback success downed Brescia.

Improving Udinese beat inconsistent Palermo 2-1.

Image: Juventus' Milos Krasic (left) and Miguel Britos of Bologna vie for possession during their Serie A match on Sunday

Mainz return to top with 1-0 win over Leverkusen

Mainz 05 reclaimed top spot in the Bundesliga on Sunday when they beat hosts Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 with a goal from Austrian Andreas Ivanschitz.

Mainz took full advantage of Borussia Dortmund's 1-1 draw with Hoffenheim earlier in the day to leapfrog them into top spot with 24 points, going two points clear after their eighth win in nine games.

Borussia Dortmund grabbed a deserved last-gasp equaliser with an Antonio da Silva free kick to draw 1-1 with visitors Hoffenheim but the result ended their seven-game winning streak and left them second on 22 points.

Hoffenheim are fourth on 15, a point behind Hanover 96.

Mainz created their first chance when Hungarian Adam Szalai was left unmarked but failed to hit the target from inside the box.

Leverkusen, missing several key players through injury, could not match the pace of their visitors, who saw several of their efforts denied by keeper Rene Adler.

Ivanschitz, who had come on in the 69th minute, broke the hosts' resistance a minute later when Andre Schuerrle, who will join Leverkusen for 11 million euros ($15.31 million) next season, knocked the ball into space for the Austrian to tap it in from close range.

The hosts, who drop to fifth on 15 points, fought back in the remaining 20 minutes and hit the crossbar through Sidney Sam late in the game but failed to find the equaliser.

Schalke's poor start continues

Borussia looked to be heading for a first loss since August when Demba Ba fired the visitors ahead in the first half but Brazilian Da Silva curled in a free kick with the final kick of the game.

Hoffenheim took an early lead through Senegalese striker Ba, who tapped in his fifth goal of the season from two metres after a pinpoint cross from Luiz Gustavo in the ninth minute.

Borussia reacted instantly and were awarded a penalty for an Isaac Vorsah handball on 15 minutes.

Turkey international Nuri Sahin converted from the spot before the referee ordered him to retake it. His second attempt was saved by keeper Tom Starke.

Dortmund continued to dominate but had to wait until the third minute of stoppage time to level.

With defeat only seconds away, Dortmund were awarded a free kick just outside the box on the right with substitute Da Silva stepping up to score before Hoffenheim's Sejad Salihovic was red carded for complaining to the referee.

Schalke 04's poor start to the season continued on Saturday when last season's runners-up drew 0-0 at Eintracht Frankfurt to stay near the relegation zone with six points.

Fellow Champions League competitors Werder Bremen crushed hosts Borussia Moenchengladbach 4-1 to move up to eighth in the table on 14 points.

Bayern Munich escaped with a 0-0 draw at Hamburg SV on Friday to remain in 11th place on 12 points.

Image: Ivica Olic of Bayern Munich and Hamburg SV's Collin Benjamin vie for possession during their Bundesliga match on Friday

Marseille beat Lille 3-1 to boost title hopes

Olympique Marseille came from behind to boost their hopes of retaining the Ligue 1 title with a 3-1 win at Lille on Sunday.

Lille opened the scoring through Yohan Cabaye but a Loic Remy double and a Lucho Gonzalez goal after the interval pushed Marseille up to second with 18 points from 10 games, one point behind leaders Stade Rennes.

Earlier, Olympique Lyon, in 14th place seven points off the pace, failed to help coach Claude Puel in his bid to keep his job after they drew 1-1 at bottom club Arles-Avignon.

Sixth-placed Paris St Germain missed the chance to make up ground after slumping to a 3-2 home defeat against AJ Auxerre.

Marseille, who had a terrible start to the season losing their opening two matches, looked a pale shadow of their old selves in the first half but rallied after the break.

Lyon struggling to make an impact

In a bad weekend for the other big guns, champions Olympique Marseille made an indifferent start.

Yohan Cabaye was twice denied by Steve Mandanda but it proved third time lucky for the midfielder midway through the first half when he latched on to an Eden Hazard cross Marseille defender Stephane Mbia failed to clear properly.

Seven minutes into the second half, France striker Remy equalised with a superb strike from just inside the box into Mickael Landreau's top corner.

Playmaker Gonzalez's shot from18 metres took a slight deflection off Rio Mavuba as Marseille made it 2-1 after 71 minutes.

Lille looked stunned and Remy put the result beyond doubt nine minutes from time, heading home from a Benoit Cheyrou corner.

In Avignon, Lyon, the French champions from 2002-08 are struggling to make an impact in Ligue 1 despite taking maximum points from three Champions League games.

Striker Djedje put the home side ahead nine minutes before the break after benefiting from a Pape Diakhate blunder to fire past Hugo Lloris from close range.

PSG lose at home

Lyon levelled one minute into the second half when French international Briand headed home from a Miralem Pjanic corner.

At the Parc des Princes, hosts PSG got off to a dream start as Nene curled a superb 30-metre strike into the top corner in the opening minute.

But PSG's terrible defending let Auxerre back into contention almost immediately. A bad clearance allowed Jean-Pascal Mignot to collect the ball in the box and fire past Apoula Edel three minutes after Nene's goal.

The visitors went ahead in the 10th minute when Sakha Tiene was outpowered by Dennis Oliech following a through ball from Cedric Hengbart. Poland striker Oliech's cross found Roy Contout in the area for Auxerre's second.

It was 3-1 midway through the first half when Julien Quercia beat the offside trap to slot the ball past Edel.